By: John “JD” Donohue
The squawking alarm clock informs me it is 4 a.m. The thought of slamming the off button and rolling over goes through my head. Then, as usual, the anticipation of wrestling snook from under the dock lights wins out.
Fishing dock lights from a kayak can be quite tricky. Preparation and safety are the most important aspects of night fishing, especially if you are fishing solo. By law we are required to have a sounding device, PFD and a light visible from 360 degrees. To cover these necessities, I carry a whistle, an inflatable Hobie PFD and the Visipole light by Yak Attack. I strongly recommend wearing your PFD when paddling or fishing in the dark.
A headlamp is another integral tool when night snookin’. There are quite a variety of headlamps at all price points. I would suggest basing your purchase on the frequency you plan to fish in the dark. Most lights have a variety of settings. A hands-free light to help you land and release fish is also of most importance. This is especially true when fishing with plugs. It is a bit sketchy to have treble hooks flying around when it is light out, but in the dark you are at much more risk of impaling yourself.
Moving water is a key to productive night snookin’. Your anchor must also keep you from being drug through the lights while doing battle with one of those bulldogging linesiders. One pass of the kayak through the lights often shuts down all action. The 8-foot stake on my Power Pole Micro is usually sufficient, but I also like to take an anchor, as docks have often been dredged and are deeper than surrounding areas.
The popping sound of snook smashing shrimp and small baitfish on the surface is a no brainer when searching for a productive light. Unfortunately, the fish are not always that cooperative in surrendering their location. I consider several different factors when targeting lights. The first is moving water. I really like a strong outgoing tide. This will flush bait from the shadows through the lights, where the snook can easily ambush their prey. I still favor lights that sit just above the water. They create a dark silhouette on my plug, and this seems to make the snook a little more aggressive toward them. While you will see the majority of fish in the glow of the light, some of the bigger fish will be back in the shadows or down deep. Make sure you take a couple of blind casts away from the light. You also want to make sure to target lights that are turned on night after night. This allows both bait and the snook to establish a permanent residence.
The kayak is the perfect boat to use when approaching a lighted dock. Its stealth allows me to get much closer than a boat that has to motor in. I like to stay a good 10 yards or so off the lights. I use my flats spinning setup most nights. This is only because I hit the flats as soon as daylight comes. If I were just dock fishing, I would step my 10-pound Invisabraid up to 20 pounds. I like throwing small plugs like the Spook Jr. and Sebile Stick Shad. I throw them up current and allow them to sweep under the docks before working them out through the light. I will also cast toward the shore or seawall, looking for the big girls in the back before bringing the lure through the light.
Make sure you tighten up your drag, as you will have quite a wrestling match on your hands once a snook inhales your bait. Many times after catching one or two fish out of a specific light, the snook might shut down. Make sure your fishing area has a string of lights to keep the action going.
Pedal On!
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